The drag performer, whose birth name is Jay Jackson, is happy that she doesn't need to 'live [her] life in fear anymore' after coming forward with her gender identity.
- Jun 16, 2021
AceShowbiz - Laganja Estranja is living as her true self after coming out as transgender. Having come forward with her gender identity, the former contestant of "RuPaul's Drag Race" season 6 raved that she is now feeling "so empowered."
On Tuesday, June 15, the 32-year-old took to Instagram to share some pictures of herself. She began her caption, "I have so many emotions running through me at this current moment, so I promise I will make a more detailed post later. But FIRST, I want to thank all of you for the overwhelming amount of love and support I am receiving right now."
"I feel so empowered that I don't have to hide in the shadows as I make this journey," she continued. "Lastly, I want to thank all the trans brothers and sisters that came before me who fought so that my coming out could be joyous! I am so proud to identify as TRANS and to be living my truth. Happy PRIDE, you are beautiful as you are."
Laganja first opened up about her coming out journey in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "There are so many other women around me who've inspired me to come forward today, and it's because of their fight and their struggle that I'm able to really do this and say that I'm nervous, but I'm not scared," she pointed out. "I'm not going to live my life in fear anymore."
The drag performer also divulged that she came out to her "incredibly supportive" family just a week earlier. However, she has been "comfortably, fully committing" to who she is as a trans woman among her friends for one year.
"I do want to be able to express this at all times," the recording artist added. "I just got my haircut - a very feminine cut - and in one week already, my life has changed. I'm able to come off stage and take my makeup off and still see a beautiful woman in the mirror. It's powerful."
"People think that when you're trans that you've wanted to be a girl your whole life; yes, that's partly true [for me], but it's also true that I've wanted to be male my whole life to fit into what society deems as normal," she went on explaining. "But, that isn't my truth, and I'm daring to take this on. I tried to be male and be in-between and nonbinary. The truth is I'm a feminine entity and I can live this life."
